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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. object — to protest
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. chip — to eat
  14. band — a ring
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fork — in a road
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. charge — in control
  19. net — for catching
  20. band — a music group
  21. net — after costs
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com